We have noticed great efforts to combat organized crime in Guatemala throughout this year. Local newspapers and other news media have daily articles about apprehended criminals including gang members and drug cartel leaders. The Civil National Police (PNC), through the Tourism Division (DISETUR) began a new training course for police offers to assist tourists. This course was sponsored by the Civil National Police Academy (zone 6) within the Program for Tourist Protection (PROATUR) and funded by the Guatemalan Tourism Commission (INGUAT) and the Ministry of Government.

The legal reforms to the Protective Law of the City of La Antigua Guatemala (Decree 60-69) were prepared by a coalition of institutions including “Cocodes” and CIVICA in 2010. These were presented to the Guatemala Congress in August, 2011 by Congressman Sergio Celis.

Guatemalan experts in history, architecture and urban development met with lawyers in the late 1960s to expand legislation on the Presidential Decree 2772 passed by General Jorge Ubico in 1944, and the city was declared a “National Monument”. More would be needed to preserve the city and concern was mounting as to the city’s preservation.

The culture shock I experienced the first few weeks of living in Guatemala was mostly confusion. The way of life and social customs are different not only from my home in the United States but also other Latin American countries I’ve visited. I’ve compiled a few of the “quirks” other students are likely to run into in hopes of easing their transitions.

With the resignation of the Conservator of Antigua, Eduardo Andrade, on May 23rd and the resignations of Miguel Torres (Academia de Geografía e Historia) and Gloria Palacios (Facultad de Humanidades/USAC) effective May 31st, the National Council for the Protection of La Antigua Guatemala has a crisis on its hands. Allegations of corruption with building permits that include basements and two/three stories are added to this crisis where, apparently, licenses were signed and the plans were changed by corrupt staff.

Luckie was a guerrilla, not the kind with a Che Guevara sweetheart locket and an Uzi under the bed, but a psychology professor at the San Carlos University who became an urban revolutionary through a process of concientización – literally, getting a conscience. She had first become involved in politics as a high school student in the 1960s when Tom and Marjorie Melville, a Maryknoll priest and nun, had formed a student organization called Cráter designed to get rich city kids into the countryside to work with Indian peasants during their school break.